U.S. Marine Sgt. Brandon Stevenson of Palm Bay comforts Margaret Boyd, left, of Eau Gallie, who lost a son in the Vietnam War, and Evelyn Covella, right, of Melbourne, whose husband died in Vietnam.

Written by

Rick Neale
| FLORIDA TODAY

Ranging across the decades from active Air Force airmen to World War II survivors with walking canes, dozens of U.S. military veterans gathered in a group on the grass at Wickham Park.

"If you put that uniform on, you are our veterans. That makes everybody out in this audience a civilian. Am I right? Proud Americans, right?" asked Ralph Earrusso, director of Florida's Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion.

"And you need to thank these people for your freedom," Earrusso announced, drawing applause from the crowd. ...